Weather
Floods: Mainly affected by the Rhine and Danube
The meadow on the banks of Kaltenengers is flooded by the floodwaters of the Rhine. photo
© Thomas Frey/dpa
Rainfall and thaw are causing water levels to rise in parts of Germany. This is likely to stay that way in the coming days.
Plus temperatures and rain leave rivers in parts Germany’s increase. The situation on some Bavarian waters and on the Rhine from Baden-Württemberg to North Rhine-Westphalia is particularly tense.
On the Danube and south of it, the Bavarian flood intelligence service expects water levels to rise – reporting level three could be reached. This means that individual built-up properties or cellars can be flooded and regional transport connections may have to be closed. However, there is good news from the rivers north of the Danube, because the levels are falling here.
But the Rhine is rising. Shipping has already been stopped near Karlsruhe, according to the flood reporting service of the Rhineland-Palatinate State Office for the Environment.
Down the river, in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, ships are only allowed to travel at lower speeds and in the middle of the river, according to the responsible authorities. Neighboring cities have taken protective measures: promenades and parks were closed and parking bans were imposed near the river.
Levels are also expected to continue to rise in Saxony-Anhalt; the water in the Dumme near Tylsen and the Ohre near Wolmirstedt is currently reaching alert level two out of four.